Announced early last year, the Alphabet Squadron novel written by Alexander Freed is now a trilogy, while it’ll also have a comic miniseries TIE-in (what a pun) called TIE Fighter from Marvel, penned by Jody Houser. This sounds like a really fun idea, and considering the skills of both writers involved, I can’t wait to see how this all works out. Check out the new covers and get more details below!
In case you forgot about Alphabet Squadron, set post-Return of the Jedi, here’s a refresher on what it’s about (from a brand new blurb):
The novel has now been revealed as the first part of a trilogy, news which was announced alongside the reveal of this gorgeous cover! The name of the character that graces the cover is Yrica Quell, an Imperial defector who flies the X-wing of our Alphabet soup Squad, while it was also revealed Alphabet Squadron takes orders from one person: Hera Syndulla of Star Wars Rebels! (via a Del Rey tweet and now the updated blurb seen above) From Hera’s time in the Doctor Aphra comic, participating in the background of Rogue One’s Battle of Scarif, and now this, her journey continues to expand in fun and intriguing new ways! The novel is out June 11! UPDATE: Review of the first novel is here!
As for Houser’s TIE Fighter comic, with art by Rogê Antônio and, “…other acclaimed artists,” here’s a blurb:
“From a certain point of view, the rebels are traitors to the Empire, putting the innocent people of the galaxy at risk. In the last days of the Galactic Civil War, an elite squadron of TIE fighter pilots, known as Shadow Wing, is assembled to protect Imperial interests.”
Seeing as Shadow Wing will be the main villains of the novel, I hope this comic will explore a bit of where they were during the Galactic Civil War while setting up their time in the novel, though covering events of the novel from their POV wouldn’t be bad either. While this is a tie-in, and therefore technically not original characters solely created in the comics first, this is the closest we’ve gotten yet to my hope they’ll create new characters to helm an on-going/miniseries comic, so I’ll take it! Chuck Wendig, who was unceremoniously fired in a helluva mess last year by Marvel Editor Mark Paniccia, revealed this was the second project he was working while still with Marvel. Due to TIE Fighter launching in April, expect a few more details next week when the April comic solicitations go live, which we’ll have on the site next Tuesday. UPDATE: They are live but don’t add much more, unfortunately.
UPDATE 2: Here are my reviews for the miniseries.
Ryan is Mynock Manor’s Head Butler. You can follow him on Twitter @BrushYourTeeth. You can follow the website @MynockManor.
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ALEXANDER FREED REVIEWS:
Battlefront: Twilight Company (Novel) | “Contingency Plan” – From a Certain Point of View (Novel) | Rogue One – A Star Wars Story (Novel Adaptation)
JODY HOUSER REVIEWS:
Age of Republic (Comic miniseries) | Thrawn (Comic adaptation) | Poe Dameron Annual #2 (comic) | “Rey” – Star Wars Adventures: Forces of Destiny (Comic miniseries) | Rogue One (Comic Adaptation)
Check out the rest of our Canon Novel Reviews here!
Check out the rest of our Canon Comic Reviews here!